Angelenos unequivocally voted yes for county government oversight and accountability to everyday people. While strengthening the power of the Ethics Commission created within Measure G and enshrining Measure J into the County Charter, Measure E will reinforce the infrastructure of care and ethics needed for the County to meet the urgent needs in our communities. 

Measure E fixes two mistakes the County made. A County error put Measure J’s voter-approved funding for community investment at risk of repeal, and Measure E makes that funding permanent. It also gives the new Ethics Commission the independence and enforcement power voters were promised under Measure G. Vote YES on E to hold L.A. County to the promises it has already made to voters.

When we talk about the experiences of transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) people within the Los Angeles County jail and prison system, we are talking about a population that faces an extremely high risk of violence, discrimination, and what can amount to cruel and unusual punishment. These harms can take many forms, including mental, physical, and sexual violence, as well as barriers to accessing gender-affirming healthcare.

As an organization led by a formerly incarcerated person, we know rebuilding one’s life is rarely straightforward. While expungement is often treated as a legal transaction, we experienced how traditional models often prioritize paperwork over people. That realization challenged us to reimagine our approach.

Establishing independent pretrial services was one of the foundation recommendations adopted by the Board in 2019, and it remains a critical strategy to reducing LA County’s massive jail population and finally closing the deadly Men’s Central Jail.